Method of positioning fish.



P.D.GLEVELAND.

METHOD OF POSITIONING FISH.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 3, 1913.

07 720 Patented NOV. 18, 1913.

s SHEETS-SHEET 1.

P. I]. CLEVELAND. METHOD OF POSITIONING FTSH;

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1913. 1,078,720. Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

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P. D, CLEVELAND. METHOD OF POSITIONING FISH.-

I APPLIUATION FILED JULY 3, 1913. 1 ,O78,720 Patented Nov. 18,1913;

3 SHEETS-7811121113.

UMZCED STATEd @FhlUEt FRANCIS D. CLEVELAND, O'F WINCHESTER,MASSACHUSETTS, AS$IGNOR 10 WILLIAM: UNDERWOOD COMPANY, 013' BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 013 MASSA- CHUSETTS.

METHOD OF POSITIONING FISH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 3, 1913. Serial No. 777,183.

To alt 20/10 272 "it'ma concern Be it known that I, FRANCIS D. CLEVE-LAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at "Winchester, in thecounty of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Methods of Positioning Fish, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved Applicant has discovered bypractical use that fish when pushed sidewise thereof through a body ofwater located in a-suitable receptacle will move in the direction inwhich their heads may be pointed. In order to utilize this discovery forthe purpose of positioningffish he has embodied his inven- "tion in amechanism wherein a receptacle containing a body of water has a pair ofoppositelydisposed gages located adjacent thereto and suitable means forpushing fish sidewise through said body of water in said receptacle, theresult being that the fish will move in the directionin which theirheads are pointed toward said gages until their noses rest against saidgages, some of the fish moving in one direction and some inthe oppositedirection according to the direction in which their heads happen-to bepointed when they are moved in the receptacle.

The invention broadly stated therefore, consists in the method ofpositioning fish which consists in pushing them sidewise through a bodyof liquid: and further the.

invention consists of the method of position ing fish which consists inpushing them sidewise through a body of liquid between a pair of gages,whereby said fish will move toward said gages in the d1rect1on1n whichtheir heads may be pointed.

The' invention finally consists in the method hereinafter described andparticularly set forth in the claims.

In carrying my improved method into practical operation I utilize amachinein which a body of water is contained in a receptacle and meansare provided for pushing the fish sidewise through said body'ot water,together with a pair of gages against which the. fish are adapted to bemoved as they are pushed through said water and whereby they arepositioned ready to be delivered to any suitable receptacle or to befirst brought into engagement with suitable cutting means for removingthe heads and tails thereof after which they may be delivered to asuitable receptacle or carrier.

The mechanism for pushing the fish may be a rotary member provided withblades or it may be an endless chain provided with blades adapted toengage the fish or it may be a reciprocatory' member adapted to engagethe fish and push them sidewise in the body of water, but in each casethere must be a body of water contained within a receptacle and means topush the fish through this body ofwater sidewise thereof.

- In the preferred embodiment of my in- Vention I utilize a rotaryconveyer, said rotary .conveyer having pockets in its periphcry. Thefish are delivered to these pockets at right angles to the length of thepockets and in the direction of the length of the fish and said fish arepositioned when they leave the rotary conveyer parallel to the length ofsaid pockets. A single rotary conv'eyer may be utilized if that issulficient to place the fish with their noses against thegages or aplurality of rotary conveyors may be employed. Each of the conveyors,

Pas-tented Nov, is, rarer whether one or a plurality is used, in thepreferred form of machine used in positioning fish in accordance with my1nventioii. is

provided with a shield therebeneath which is adapted to contain waterand as the fish are pushed by the conveyer through the water containedin the shield and pushed along by the partitions between the pockets insaid convey'er, they will keep moving in whichever direction their headsmay be pointedj until finally they arrive with their noses against thegages which are provided zttljti cent to the ends of said. pockets.

if desired cutting means may be employed in combinationwith the rotaryconveyor or placing wheel to reinovothe heads and tails,

but in certain instances it is desirable to position lish without thecutters, as, for instance, when they are delivered to flakes to bedried, in which case the rotary eon veyer may be used with the shieldcontaining water and located therebeneath without using any cuttingmeans.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of amachine adapted to positionand cut fish in accordance with my improvedmethod. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional elevation of one of the conveyersand its shield taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3- is a detailsectional elevation taken on line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig.4 is a detailsectional elevation taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detailsectional elevation. showing a single rotary conveyer with its shieldadapted to contain water. 'Fig. 6'is a sectional elevation of a modifiedform of machine adapted to carry into practical operation- 'my improvedmethod of positioning fish. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of anothermodified form of machine adapted to position fish by my improved method.Fig. 8 is a detail section taken on line 88 of Fig. 7. Fig.- 9 is asectional elevation of another modified form of machine whereby myinvention may be carried into practical operation.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of thedrawings.

In the drawings, Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, 6 is the frame of the machine;7, 8 and 9 are rotary conveyers for the fish. The rotary conveyer 7 isfastened to a shaft 10 journaled in bearings 11 on the frame of themachine' The conveyer 7 consists of a hub 12 having a series of radialpartitions 13 fast thereto which separate a series of pockets 14 onefrom the other. 'These pockets are adapted to receive fish and areprovided at the opposite ends thereof with annular flanges, constitutinggages, 15 and 16. Said gages are adjustably fastened to the shaft-- 10by set-screws 17 and 18, respectively. It will be noted that the rotaryconveyer 7 is adapted to move in the direction of the ar- 5 row 'a(Fig. 1) and that the pockets 14 located of the path of motion of said.rotary conveyer. A rotary motion is imparted to the shaft 10 by a pulley19 fast thereto, A 9 shield 20 having a bottom 21 and sideflanges 22 isfastened to the frame 6. This shield is so formed as to contain waterand is located beneath the conveyer 7, with the inner face of the bottom21 adjacent to the pe- 5 riphery, of said conveyer, the bottom thereofextending on opposite sides of a vertical plane containing the medianaxial line of said conveyer, so that water Wlll always stand in saidshield, and when the fish are o carried around in the pockets of therotary conveyer 7 they will plunge into this water contained in theshield 20 and will move 1n the direction in which their heads arepointed toward the gages 15-and 16, respectively. Fish are delivered tothe pockin its periphery extend transversely ets of the conveyer 7 by achute 23 down which they pass longitudinally thereof and transversely ofthe pockets 14 or of the shaft 10. lVhen the fish pass from the chute 23into the pockets 14 they fall into said I pockets and turn with'theirheads pointing in one'direction or the other lengthwise of said pockets,ready to be carried into the water 24 contained in the shield 20. lVateris supplied tothe chute 23 by a suitable pipe 25. It will be noted thatthe pockets 14 are practically water-tight, so that the water which isdelivered to said pockets from the chute 23 will be carried around insaid pockets and delivered into the'shield 20, the

pockets opening out ofthe periphery of the conveyer 7, so that the watercan be'delivered, together with the fish, into-said packets;-

from the chute 24 and delivered by .said pockets into the shield 20.

The conveyer 8 is substantially the 'same as the conveyer 7. It isprovided with pockets 26, partitions 27, and a shield 28 and. isfastened to a shaft 29 rotatable in suitable bearings'30 on the frame ofthe machine. A rotary motion is imparted to said conveyer in thedirection of the arrow b by a gear 31 which is rotated by a gear 32-meshing into a gear.33 which, in turn, meshes into a gear 34 fast to theshaft 10. A chute 35 leads from the shield 20 to the conveyer 8 (seeFigs. 1 and 3-) and is .provided with adjustable flanges 36 and 37, saidflanges being adjustably fastened to the chute 35 by screws 38 and 39,respectively. The flanges 36 and 37 are set in alinement with theflanges 15 and-16 on the rotary. with like.

conveye'r 7 and also in alinement flanges 40 on the conveyer 8. Anotherchute 41 leads from the shield 28v to the conveyer 9 and a shield 42similar to the shield 20 is located beneath the rotary conveyer 9. Saidrotary conveyer 9 is'substan- 'tial'ly the same as the conveyers 7 and8,

having pockets 43, partitions 44 and being fastened to a shaft 45journaledv in suitable bearii'igs on the frame of the machine. Thepartitions 44 of the conveyor 9, however, are slotted at 47 and 48 toreceive the rotary cutters 49 and 50, respectively. Said rotary cuttersare fastened to a shaft 51 journaled to. rotate in suitable bearings 52on the frame of the machine. Said cutters have a rotary 'motion impartedthereto in the direction of the arrow 0 by a pulley 53. A rotary motionis imparted to the conveyer 9 bya sprocket gear 54 fast to the shaft- 45and connected 'by asprocket chain 55 to a sprocket gear 56 fast to theshaft 10, thus imparting to the rotaryconveyer 9 a mot-ion inthedirection of the arrow (Z. The heads and tails after they have beensevered pass down a chute 57 into-a receptacle 58, while the bodies passdown a chute 59 into a receptacle 60.

Th eneral operation of the. mechanism .hereinbe'fore' specifically.described and illuschute' 23 with theirbodies extending longitudinallyof said chute'and are carried along in said chute by a stream of waterfrom a pipe 25. Said fish drop from the chute 23 into the pockets oftherotary conveyer 7 as said rotary conveyor is rotating in the directionof the arrow aa'nd are carried, together with the water in said pockets,which is supplied by the chute 23, around in thedirection of said arrowand into the body of water 24 contained in the shield 20. AS theconveyer is rotated the fish are carried into this body of water andslide down the partitions 13, with their heads pointed either toward thegages15 or 16 and in which ever direction they may be pointed they willmove toward said gages as they are pushed through the water 24 by thepar titions l3. The partitionsfl13 carry the fish up along the innerface of ,the shield 20 until they arrive at the chute 35 down which theypassinto the pockets 26 of the rotary conveyer 8. They are then carriedaround by said rotary conveyer in the direction of the arrow 6 into thewater contained in the bottom of the shield 28, and as they enter thewater in said shield and are pushed along by the partitions 27 they willmove in whichever direction their heads may be pointed toward theflanges 40 whichconstitute gages on the rotary conveyer 8. Fromsaidshield 28 they will be pushed by the partitions 27 onto the chute 41and will pass down said chute into the pockets 43 of the conveyer 9. Thepartitions 4-4: of said conveyor-will push the fish around through the,water; located in the shield 42 and against the rotary cutters 49 and50. The heads and tails of the fish will, at this time, be severed fromthe bodies and said heads and tails will pass down the chute 57 intothe. receptacle 58, while the bodies pass down the chute 59 into thereceptacle 60.

in 5 the machineillustrawd embodies a single rotary conveyer withashield at the bottom thereof adapted to contain water. Referring tosaid Fig. 5, 61 is a rotary conveyer movable in the direction of thearrow 6. Said rotary conveyer has a series of partitions 62 whichseparate the pockets 63' from each other and is provided with endflanges, constituting gages, 64. The conveyer 61 is fastened to a shaft65 journaled in suitable bearings 66 and having a pulley 67 fast theretoby means of which it is rotated, Beneath the conveyer. 61 is located ashield 68'having its inner face adjacent to the periphery of theconveyor 1 and adapted to fcontain abody of water 69 said shield havingan outlet chute 70 and fastened to'the frame 71.2.zLThe-fishgire daek'liveredto therotary oonveyer 61,by 'a chute which is supplied withwater from a pipe 7 3. The device is operated by rotating the conveyer61, by means of thepulley 67, I

in the direction of the arrow e, and as the fish pass down the chute 72,they will be delivered, together with thewater-zfrom the pipe 7 3, intothe pockets 63- of the onveyer 61 and are carried around by th on veyer61 into the shield 68. As they ass through the water 69 in the bottom ofsaid shield,

they will move in the direction in which their heads are pointed towardthe annular gages 64 and will be delivered down the= chute 70 onto anysuitable receptacle 74, it being. noted that as thefish enter theconveyer 61 they are located with their-length extending transversely ofthe shaft 65 and. of the length of the pockets63, but they are deliveredfrom said pockets with their length extending longitudinally thereof.

-- In Fig. 6 the machine illustrated is embodied ina single rotarymember with blades 76 thereon constituting. means for pushing fishthrough a body of water con- .tained in a recepacle 78. The rotarymemher- 7 5 is provided with end "fianges 79 constituting gages and isfastened to a shaft SO-rotatable ina suitable bearing 81 in the frame82. The fish are delivered to the r0- tary member 79 by a chute 83 towhich water is supplied by a pipe 84. The water and fish passdown thechute 83 and fall between the blades 76 and the flanges 7 9 into thebody of water 77 in the receptacle 7 8. The member 75 is rotated-in thedirection of the arrow f by a pulley .85 fast to the shaft 80. Assaidmember is rotated in the direction indicated,'the blades 76 pass throughthe body of water 77, pushing the fish sidewise thereof along the insideof the receptacle 8. As said fish are pushed along said receptacle. inthe water 77 they will move in the direction in which their heads are{pointed until their noses come up against the gages 79. Upon continuedrotation of'the member 75 the fishwill be pushed out of the receptacle 78 and will slide down the inclined portion 86 of said receptacle onto asuitable recep- Lacie 87.

In Figs. 7 and 8 a machine is illustrated whereby my improved method iscarried into practical operation in which is embodied an endlessconveyer 88 with blades 89 thereonconstituting means whereby fish may bepushed through a body of water 90' located in the receptacle 91 wh ch issupporton. the frame 92. A rctar motion-is imparted to the shaft 95 by apulley 99; The,

Ireceptacle 91 is provided onits opposite sides "1 with flanges 100 and101, constituting gages,

to determine the positionof the fish. The fish are fed into thereceptacle 91 by a chute .102, to which water is supplied by a pipe 103,and said fish move down the chute 102' in the direction of theirlengthand with thewater from the pipe 103 passbetween the blades 89 anddownwardly into the. receptacle 91 alongwhich they are'pushed by thepusher blades'89. As the fish are pushed through the water they willassumepositions extending longitudinally of the blades 89 r and willmove in the direction in which their heads are pointed-until theirnoses-rest against the gages 100 and 101, respectively."

As the conveyer 88, with its blades 89, pushes the fish along throughthe body of water 90 they will finally arrive at th'end of thereceptacle 91 at the left 'of' Fig. 7

and will slidedow'n the inclined portion 104 onto a suitable receptacle105.

In Fig. 9 a machine isillustrated whereby my improved method may becarried into" practical operation" in which there is a re- .ceptacle 106containingn bodyof water 107 and thefi'sh are supplied to saidreceptacle.

'by an inclined chute 108 to which water is supplied by a pipe 109. Thefish enter the receptacle 106 at anangle'thereto, passing lengthwisethereof down the chute 108 and into the body of water 107. After beingfed into the receptacle 106 they are pushed through the water in saidreceptacle sidewhich the noses of the fish are adapted to contact.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The fish pass lengthwise thereof down the cure is: r

chute 108 and are floated downvsaid chute by water from the pipe 109.They are thus 7 delivered to the receptacle 106 transversely thereof andare pushed along in the body of water 107 by the pusher 11 0, to-wh-icha reciprocatory motion is imparted by the eccen trio 111. As the fishare pushed sidewise thereof by the pusher 110 in the receptacle 106they. will move, in the direction in vwhich their headsare pointed untilsaid heads contact with the gages 118. Finally the pusher- ,fish upagainst the inclined" will push sai end 119 of. the. receptacle 106 andsaid fish will then pass outwardly onto an inclined chute or guide 120,down which they slide to any suitable receptacle or conveyin means. f: a1 Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire by LettersPatent to se- 1. The method of positioning fish which i consists inpushing them sidewise through a body of liquid. I 2.- Themethod ofpositioning fish which consists in pushing themsidewisethrough abody of.liquid between a pair of gages. wherebysa'id' fish will .move towardsaid gages in the' direction in which their heads maybe pointed. 1 i

3. The method of positioning fish which consists in pushing themsidewise through a body of liquid and .;out of said body of liquid ontoa receptacle therefor.

4. The method of positioning and cutting 'fish which consists in pushingthem sidewise through a bodyof liquid and subsequently against suitablecutting means, whereby their heads and tails may be severed from.

their bodies.

. Intestimony-whereof I have hereunto set "my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses. v I I FRANCIS D. CLEVELAND. WVitnesses:

CHARLES S; Gooomo, Q/SYDNEY E. TAFT.

